ORIGINAL POST:
As some of you know I’m a new “cousin-in-law” to a premie baby (26 ½ weeks and doing pretty good all things considered!). This new baby has taken a lot of my emotional attention and has given me perspective about being a parent (and how easy most things are for me) and appreciation for other people’s strength during trying times.
I want to put together a compilation of songs for these new parents and was looking for input. What I’d like it those songs that are not too sappy but surround you with the “awe” of being a new parent, the challenges, the excitement, the hope we have for our kids.
SUMMARY OF RESPONSES
Thanks to everyone who emailed me songs that touched you as new parents. It would be great to be able to give you more than just a compilation of emails with repeats (I'm envisioning a "specifically for girls/boys" list, slow/fast, etc.), but for now I'll just post what I received and try to get these posted on the PSP website-perhaps with links to iTunes so you can get them easily.
If anyone wants to take a stab at making this more concise, please do so and resend to the list!
"Sing for You" by Tracy Chapman
i like jo cocker's you are so beautiful
dixie chicks - lullaby
matt costa's lullaby from the curious george soundtrack
born at the right time - paul simon.
Some suggestions, a lot of which are fairly sappy anyway:
*Melt with you by Modern English
Isn't she lovely by Stevie Wonder
*Close to you by the Carpenters
*You've got a friend in me by Randy Newman
In Your Eyes by Peter Gabriel
Walking on the Moon by the Police
*I say a little prayer by Aretha Franklin
Rainbow Connection by Kermit the Frog
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley
Lullaby by Ben Folds Five/ Shawn Mullins????
Beat on the brat by the Ramones (joking)
*Will Smith wrote a song dedicated to his son, "Just the Two of Us", I think
it's called.
* Sweet Honey in the Rock: Your Children are not your Children (Kahlil
Gibran Poem)
*Dylan: Times they are a changing?
Another song that someone included on a complilation for me was
"Over the Rainbow" the version sung by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole.
He was the massive Hawaiian man who sang it with a ukelele (at
least I think that is what he played). It's truly sweet and I
found myself playing it over and over again when I first got the
compilation.
Bob Marley & the Wailers- Three Little Birds
A *wonderful* Paul Simon song for a girl is Father & Daughter from his
new album.
Welcome To The World
Music For Aardvarks And Other Mammals
The Things We've Handed Down Art Garfunkel
Have a Little Faith in Me John Hiatt
Fools Will Try Ralph's World
Child of Mine Carole King
Something Ilona Knopfler
Getting To Know You James Taylor
Golden Slumbers Jackson Browne & Jennifer Warnes
Your Song Ewan McGregor & Alessandro Safina
Cody's Song Kenny Loggins
You Are So Beautiful Joe Cocker
Born At The Right Time Paul Simon
Isn't She Lovely Stevie Wonder
In Your Eyes Peter Gabriel
Three Little Birds Bob Marley & The Wailers
Walking On The Moon The Police
Lullaby Shawn Mullins
Your Song Elton John
Beautiful Boy by John Lennon
"I can hardly wait until you come of age... but I guess we'll both
just have to be patient..."
It's a beautiful song about striking the balance between guiding your
child and sitting back and letting them become who they are.
1. We're Going to Be Friends by The White Stripes
2. Poor Boy, Minor Key by M. Ward
3. Ripple by Grateful Dead
4. Big Rock Candy Mountain (from the O Brother, Where art Thou
soundtrack)
5. Heavy Metal Drummer by Wilco
6. Space Wrangler by Widespread Panic
7. Bright Side of the Road by Van Morrison
8. Lucky Man by The Verve
9. Together by The Raconteurs
10. Christmas at the Zoo by The Flaming Lips
11. Do You Realize?? By The Flaming Lips
12. Blackbird by The Beatles
13. Hundreds of Sparrows by Sparklehorse
14. Baby Learns to Crawl by Paul Westerberg
15. Can't Help But Wonder Where I'm Bound by Nanci Griffith
16. On the Sunny Side of the Street by Louis Armstrong
17. What a Wonderful World by Louis Armstrong
18. Willy by Joni Mitchell
19. Don't Panic by Coldplay
20. Bowl of Oranges by Bright Eyes
21. First Day of my Life by Bright Eyes
22. Philosophy by Ben Folds Five
23. When you Dream by Barenaked Ladies
24. The Lucky One by Alison Krauss and Union Station
Lauryn Hill song - "Zion"
I love Honey and the Moon by Joseph Arthur
a song that always hit the spot for me around the birth of our first
was "Kid" by The Pretenders (jeez, just thinking about it and I mist
up a little!)
Also, I don't know your new cousin's gender, but "Isn't She Lovely?"
by Stevie Wonder is great for a girl (and I don't think a boy baby
would mind it, either). "Already One" by Neil Young is a boy-specific
winner.
Personally, "our song" for my daughter and me is "Blue Eyes" by Gram
Parsons (might be listed under his band at the time, The
International Submarine Band). It's about a wife, but applies just as
easily to a baby daughter:
100 Years - Five for Fighting
A New Day Has Come - Celine Dion
Cherish - Madonna
Circle - Michael Brunnock
Circle Game - Jim Harmon version
Delaney Talks to Statues - Jimmy Buffet
Every Season - Nichole Nordemann
Garden Song - John Denver
Home is Where the Heart Is - Peter, paul, and Mary
Hush L'il Baby - Carly Simon
I Love - Tom T. Hall
Let the River Run - Carly Simon
Little Star - Madonna
Father and Daughter - Paul Simon
The Riddle - Five for Fighting
So Much Mine - The Story
The Storm is PAssing Over - Gospel Classic
Thank U (Acoustic Version) - Alanis Morrissette
That's the Way it Is - Celine Dion
The Things We've Handed Down - Marc COhn
This One's for the Girls - Martina McBride
This Woman's Work - Kate Bush
With Arms Wide Open - Creed
You Are a Star - Tom T. Hall
You Learn - Alanis Morrissette
My Darling - Wilco
Ooh Child - Valerie Carter
Stay Up Late - Talking Heads
You Are The Sunshine of My Life - Stevie Wonder
For Baby- Peter, Paul & Mary
Father & Daughter; Beautiful - Paul Simon
To Zion - Lauryn Hill
Julie Through The Glass - Carly Simon
Seasons of Love - Rent (soundtrack)
Beautiful Boy - John Lennon
You Gotta Be - Des'ree
It's called "Pure" and it's by the Lightning Seeds. (My daughters love it
too.)
I'm sure you can get it on Itunes. Good luck with your lovely project! Nell
(Oh, another crazy lovely song is Sinead O'Connor's "To Mother You" from her
Gospel Oak album -- it was my eldest daughter's "calming" song through
infancy.)
DAVID BOWIE--"Kooks"
"We bought alot of things to keep you warm and dry. A funny old crib, on which the paint won't dry. We bought a pair of shoes, a trumpet you could blow and a book of rules on what to say to people if they pick on you, caus, if you stay with us your goin' pretty kooky too!
If you stay you won't be sorry...cause we believe in you...soon you'll grow, so take a chance with a couple of kooks tied in romance."
Dan Zanes' song entitled "Shining Star" (I rocked that one for my now 4 year old's on her 3rd birthday) and "Beautiful Boy" by John Lennon.
My youngest used to fall asleep to me singing Elton John's "Your Song" every night for her first few months. Sometimes she still does (at age 2).
i already replied off-list that Dar Williams has a beautiful song she wrote for her baby daughter called The One Who Knows (and when they ask how far love goes, when my job's done, you'll be the one
who knows)
but reading everyone else's great lists reminded me of another - Born at the Right Time by Paul Simon
("never been lonely/ never been lied to/ never had to scuffle in fear/
nothing denied to/ born at the instant/ the church bells chime/ the whole
world's whispering/ born at the right time)
oh, and one last one, also by Paul Simon, that I sang to our newborn a lot - St Judy's Comet - it's a lullaby he wrote for his son ("little boy, little boy, won't you lay your body down...")
Big Big fan of "Lullaby" by the Dixie Chicks (baby Annabelle and I listen to it all the time since her arrival 6 months ago - "how long do you want to be loved? is forever enough?")
"Sons and Daughters" -the Decemberists
"Daughters" - John Mayer
and I second the Stevie Wonder isn't she lovely (set it to a montage of
your baby's picture and you will be bawling...)
A few other song ideas:
Calling all Angels--Jane Siberry
Such a Night--Elvis
Don't Be Afraid of the Dark--Sonics
What's Good--Lou Reed
The Kids are Alright--Who
Rosy and Grey--Lowest of the Low
Shiny Happy People--REM
The Magic Number--DeLaSoul
Freedom--Soupdragons
Peek a Boo--Devo"If" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers
crazy love by bryan ferry
apron strings by everything but the girl
If it's not already on your list please add "At Last" by Etta James! It's
the ultimate number one brand new baby song of all time.